Picton is a port town at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound in Marlborough, around 30 km north of Blenheim. It's the South Island terminus of the Cook Strait ferry services from Wellington.

How do I get from Wellington to Picton?

The Interislander and Bluebridge ferries run multiple daily sailings from Wellington to Picton, taking around 3 to 3.5 hours across Cook Strait. Both carry passengers, vehicles and freight.

What is the Queen Charlotte Track?

The Queen Charlotte Track is a 70 km coastal walking and mountain biking trail through the Marlborough Sounds, accessible by water taxi from Picton. One of New Zealand's nine Great Rides, walked over 3 to 5 days.

What is the Edwin Fox?

The Edwin Fox is the world's ninth-oldest surviving ship, built in 1853 and now preserved at the Edwin Fox Maritime Museum in Picton. It carried convicts, troops and immigrants over a long working life. Open to visitors daily.

How do I get to the Marlborough Sounds from Picton?

Water taxis from Picton Marina run scheduled and on-demand services into the Queen Charlotte and Pelorus Sounds, including drop-offs at Queen Charlotte Track trailheads. Several operators run daily through the year.

Which schools are in zone for Picton?

Children living in Picton are in zone for Queen Charlotte College. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.

How do I check my school zone in Picton?

Use the School Zone Checker on this page — enter your address to check your school zone and see which schools you have a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Picton, Marlborough | Schools, Lifestyle & Local Guide

Living in Picton

Picton is a small port town at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound, around 30 km north of Blenheim. It's the South Island terminus of the Interislander and Bluebridge ferries from Wellington, which makes it the entry point for most North Island visitors arriving by road or rail to the South Island. Population is around 4,500.

The town centres on the waterfront at the head of the sound, with ferry terminals at the eastern end and the town centre along High Street and the foreshore. The Picton Marina handles charter boats, water taxis to the Queen Charlotte Sounds, and the small commercial fishing fleet. The Edwin Fox Maritime Museum on Dunbar Wharf houses the world's ninth-oldest surviving ship (built 1853, the Edwin Fox).

Beyond the town, the Queen Charlotte Sound and the wider Marlborough Sounds are the main draw. The Queen Charlotte Track is a 70 km coastal walking/biking trail accessible by water taxi from Picton, run as one of New Zealand's nine Great Rides.

Picton School (state co-ed primary) and Queen Charlotte College (state co-ed secondary) handle the local schooling. Quiet most of the year, busy when the ferries dock.

Is Picton a good place to live?

Picton is home to roughly 3,153 people. On Suburb's overall livability scale, Picton scores 74 out of 100, with a safety score of 87/100 and 88% green space.

Schools: Picton has 3 schools in or near the suburb, spanning early-childhood through to secondary education. See the Schools tab below for the full list.

Housing: The estimated median value is around $599K, and weekly rent typically sits around $360.

Lifestyle: Picton has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. The current temperature is 7.3°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.

Whether Picton is right for you depends on what you’re looking for. Use the data and community tips below to decide if it suits your lifestyle, family and budget.

Map

Livability Breakdown

Safety87
Amenities100
Schools59
Housing Affordability63
Green space100
Community56
Transport18

Property & Economics

Est. Median Value: $599K
Median Weekly Rent: $360/wk
Median HH Income: $61K/yr
Pop. Growth (5yr): +3.5%
Data Year: 2023

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

† Est. Median Value is suburb.co.nz's own estimate, modelled from available public data. We aim for accuracy, but where data is limited, estimates may be imprecise.

Nearby Suburbs

Browse all suburbs in Marlborough District →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Picton?: Picton is a port town at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound in Marlborough, around 30 km north of Blenheim. It's the South Island terminus of the Cook Strait ferry services from Wellington.
How do I get from Wellington to Picton?: The Interislander and Bluebridge ferries run multiple daily sailings from Wellington to Picton, taking around 3 to 3.5 hours across Cook Strait. Both carry passengers, vehicles and freight.
What is the Queen Charlotte Track?: The Queen Charlotte Track is a 70 km coastal walking and mountain biking trail through the Marlborough Sounds, accessible by water taxi from Picton. One of New Zealand's nine Great Rides, walked over 3 to 5 days.
What is the Edwin Fox?: The Edwin Fox is the world's ninth-oldest surviving ship, built in 1853 and now preserved at the Edwin Fox Maritime Museum in Picton. It carried convicts, troops and immigrants over a long working life. Open to visitors daily.
How do I get to the Marlborough Sounds from Picton?: Water taxis from Picton Marina run scheduled and on-demand services into the Queen Charlotte and Pelorus Sounds, including drop-offs at Queen Charlotte Track trailheads. Several operators run daily through the year.

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Picton

Schools in zone for Picton

Children living in Picton have a guaranteed right to enrol at these school, based on Ministry of Education home zones.

Queen Charlotte College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 368 · decile 6

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Enter your address to check your school zone in Picton. School enrolment zones (home zones) decide which schools your child has a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Address matching is approximate and based on OpenStreetMap geocoding — confirm an exact result near a zone boundary directly with the school.

Other nearby schools

Schools close to Picton that you may be able to enrol at under open enrolment or by application (outside your home zone).

Picton School
Contributing · roll 113 · decile 5 · 1.5 km away
Waikawa Bay School
Contributing · roll 143 · decile 5 · 3.4 km away

Explore Picton

Things to do(21)

E-Ko Tours

Artofact Gallery

The Diversion

Picton Foreshore Reserve

Auckland Street Reserve

Nelson Square

Memorial Park

Snout Track Car Park

QCC Wāhine Rugby Team

Picton Victoria Domain

Picton Taekwon-Do

Picton Memorial Park

Alexanders Holiday Park

Town Wharf

Picton Foreshore

Picton Bowling Club

Picton Rowing Club Inc.

Picton Dog Park

Round a Mini Golf

Go Dive Pacific

Picton Rowing Club Gym

Parks & green spaces(11)

Picton Foreshore Reserve

Auckland Street Reserve

Nelson Square

Memorial Park

Snout Track Car Park

Picton Victoria Domain

Picton Memorial Park

Alexanders Holiday Park

Town Wharf

Picton Foreshore

Picton Dog Park

Healthcare(2)

Picton Healthcare Pharmacy

Month	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm/day)	Sunshine (hrs/day)
☀️ Jan	20.22	12.36	1.51	11.76
☀️ Feb	19.38	12.17	4.88	9.81
🍂 Mar	17.8	10.27	2.31	9.98
🍂 Apr	15.91	9.18	2.58	8.24
🍂 May	13.56	7.2	2.61	7.04
❄️ Jun	11.21	5.69	2.91	6.43
❄️ Jul	10.67	4.18	3.56	6.38
❄️ Aug	11.1	4.36	4.4	7.77
🌸 Sep	12.63	6.12	2.61	8.56
🌸 Oct	14.3	6.83	2.88	10
🌸 Nov	16.5	9.12	2.28	10.9
☀️ Dec	18.61	11.11	2.65	10.87

Living in Picton

Is Picton a good place to live?

Map

Livability Breakdown

Property & Economics

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

Nearby Suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Picton

Schools in zone for Picton

Queen Charlotte College

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Other nearby schools

Picton School

Waikawa Bay School

Explore Picton

🎯Things to do(21)

E-Ko Tours

Artofact Gallery

The Diversion

Picton Foreshore Reserve

Auckland Street Reserve

Nelson Square

Memorial Park

Snout Track Car Park

QCC Wāhine Rugby Team

Picton Victoria Domain

Picton Taekwon-Do

Picton Memorial Park

Alexanders Holiday Park

Town Wharf

Picton Foreshore

Picton Bowling Club

Picton Rowing Club Inc.

Picton Dog Park

Round a Mini Golf

Go Dive Pacific

Picton Rowing Club Gym

🌳Parks & green spaces(11)

Picton Foreshore Reserve

Auckland Street Reserve

Nelson Square

Memorial Park

Snout Track Car Park

Picton Victoria Domain

Picton Memorial Park

Alexanders Holiday Park

Town Wharf

Picton Foreshore

Picton Dog Park

🏥Healthcare(2)

Picton Healthcare Pharmacy

Picton Medical Centre Pharmacy

Eat & Drink in Picton

🍽️Places to eat & drink(47)

Fork & Fable Restaurant, Pizzeria & Bar

Seumus' Irish Bar

Pinch of spice

Le Cafe

Gusto

The Thirsty Pig

Bakehouse Cafe

Seabreeze Cafe & Bar

Norimaki

Scoozi!

Toastie Lords

Sisu

Asahi

The Barn

Oxlay's Bar and Kitchen

Fork & Fable Restaurant, Pizzeria + Bar

Thai Panda

Sisu Eatery and Bar

The Thirsty Pig Picton

The Bean Queen Coffee Cart

Seabreeze Cafe and Bar

Subway

Oxley's Bar and Kitchen

Indulge Ice Cream Parlour

Things to do(21)

Parks & green spaces(11)

Healthcare(2)

Places to eat & drink(47)

Tradies & services(13)

Shops(16)

Beauty & fitness(13)